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2018-04-09 07:51:43

AAPL

Apple

$168.38

-4.42 (-2.56%)

, FB

Facebook

$157.20

-2.14 (-1.34%)

07:51

04/09/18

04/09

07:51

04/09/18

07:51

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak leaving Facebook, USA Today reports

Apple (AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak tells USA Today that he is leaving Facebook (FB), saying ""Users provide every detail of their life to Facebook and... Facebook makes a lot of advertising money off this... The profits are all based on the user's info, but the users get none of the profits back." Commenting on Apple, Wozniak said "Apple makes its money off of good products, not off of you," adding that "As they say, with Facebook, you are the product." Reference Link

Citi analyst Jim Suva reiterates a Buy rating on Apple shares with a $200 price target. The analyst expects "volatility ahead" for the stock as consensus estimates for the March and June quarters move lower to reflect more tempered demand for the iPhone X. Looking ahead, however, Suva expects investor focus to be on the impact from Apple's capital returns strategy. He estimates this could be a $100B increase. Investors will also soon focus on Apple's second half of 2018 product lineup and continued strength in its Services segment, Suva tells investors in a research note.

Bernstein analyst Mark Li believes that given Apple's (AAPL) experience in processor design, replacing Intel (INTC) processor with its own is possible. Further, the analyst says that the narrowing gap in process technology between TSMC (TSM) and Intel also makes Apple's aspiration possible, while Apple's vertical integration with OS and applications also puts it in a better position to challenge Intel. Li sees a downside to TSMC's 2019 revenue because of Bitcoin, but says it remains a "solid" company with balanced risk and reward. The analyst reiterates a Market-Perform rating on TSMC shares.

After Bloomberg reported yesterday that Apple (AAPL) is evaluating using its own processors in Mac computers, Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore noted that this has been a recurring concern in recent years for Intel (INTC). Ensuring backwards compatibility with prior Macs would require emulation, which could be problematic for Apple given that ARM processors have lower performance for most common PC applications, said Moore. The analyst, who doesn't see Intel's roughly 4% exposure to Macs being fully at risk, maintains his Equal Weight rating on Intel shares.

RBC Capital analyst Amit Daryanani writes that yesterday's Bloomberg report about Apple's (AAPL) plans to replace Intel (INTC) x86 processor solutions in its Mac product line is likely to have a "modest" impact of annual 20c-25c EPS and $3B-$4B on Intel over longer term. Daryanani believes that the initiative is still at an early stage and his assumption accounts for a total loss of Apple's processor allocation, though he also warns that Apple's insourcing could create a business impact on the broader supply chain. The analyst keeps his Sector Perform rating and $46 price target on Intel, maintaining a neutral stance on the possibility of heightened competition from AMD's (AMD) Epyc processor.

FBFacebook

$157.20

-2.14 (-1.34%)

04/05/18

WELS

04/05/18NO CHANGETarget $230WELSOutperform

Facebook expected to 'weather the storm,' says Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo analyst Ken Sena says his advertising and agency contacts continue to point to the fact that marketers with direct and purchased access to third party data will still be able to apply it to Facebook targeting. Moreover, combined with the fact that Facebook's first party data and advertiser's customer data will continue to be applicable to Facebook targeting, the analyst expects no material negative impact on advertiser spending. Sena reiterates an Outperform rating and $230 price target on the shares.

Stephens analyst Brett Huff noted that Acxiom (ACXM) CEO Scott Howe published a blog post stating that he has seen "some signs" that Facebook (FB) is reconsidering its new policy on data imports in light of advertiser concerns. Huff, who thinks the blog post is a potential indication of the level of concern advertisers are having about Facebook's recent move, remains a buyer of Acxiom shares as he views the recent negative stock reaction to Facebook's news as overdone. He maintains his $32 price target and Overweight rating on Acxiom shares.

04/04/18

SBSH

04/04/18NO CHANGESBSHBuy

Facebook pullback brings long-term opportunity, says Citi

Citi analyst Mark May believes the recent selloff in shares of Facebook brings an opportunity for long-term minded investors. The analyst, however, believes the company's current situation is "difficult to quantify" and he expects near-term volatility to persist. May maintains a Buy rating on Facebook.

04/04/18

MSCO

04/04/18NO CHANGETarget $200MSCOOverweight

Morgan Stanley still bullish on Facebook, but trims target to $200

After having spoken with eight agencies/advertisers about Facebook following the company's recent data and privacy issues and its announcement that it will end partnerships with third party data providers, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak said he did not sense any material reduction in ad spend. He actually thinks the elimination of third parties is smart strategically over the long-term, as he sees it highlighting Facebook's leading reach and first party data advantage. While he noted his agency conversations were positive, Nowak also acknowledged his sample "is far from statistically significant." Feeling it appropriate to be more conservative in the near-term, he lowered his 2018 and 2019 ad revenue estimates for Facebook by 2% and 3%, respectively, and cut his price target to $200 from $230, also citing increased expectations for investment in data safety. Nowak, who said he is still bullish on Facebook, keeps an Overweight rating on the name.